The AFC is loaded with powerhouse teams, as five reached double figures in victories last season while three others fell one shy of the mark. One of the strongest clubs in the conference is the Cincinnati Bengals, who matched the franchise record with 12 wins in 2022 and made it to the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year. The Bengals have yet to get over the hump and win their first Super Bowl title, but they're hoping the 2023 NFL season will be the one that finally brings them ultimate glory.

A huge reason for Cincinnati's recent success has been Joe Burrow, who was selected with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The 2019 Heisman Trophy winner, who led LSU to the NCAA national championship that year, was limited to 10 games as a rookie due to a knee injury but returned the following season to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors and help the Bengals reach the Super Bowl. The 26-year-old Burrow had his best season yet statistically in 2022, ranking fifth in the league with 4,475 passing yards and second with 35 touchdown tosses.

The Bengals have supplied Burrow with one of the best groups of receivers the NFL has to offer. One member is Ja'Marr Chase, who was reunited with his collegiate teammate when he was drafted fifth overall in 2021. The 23-year-old wideout was fourth in the league with 1,455 receiving yards and third with 13 TD catches as a rookie before leading Cincinnati with 1,046 and nine, respectively, despite appearing in only 12 games in 2022. Tee Higgins, who was a second-round pick out of Clemson in 2020, is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and has hauled in at least six scoring passes in each of his three NFL campaigns while veteran Tyler Boyd has recorded at least 760 receiving yards each of the last five years.

Cincinnati's main problem on offense has been protecting Burrow, who was sacked 92 times over the last two seasons - the most in the NFL during that span. The star quarterback also has been sacked 29 times in seven playoff games over the past two years, including 10 in three contests last postseason. Injuries on the offensive line played a large role in not keeping Burrow safe in 2022, but with a return to health by several linemen and the offseason addition of left tackle Orlando Brown, the signal-caller's security may no longer be an issue.

Defensively, the Bengals' pass rush is solid with Trey Hendrickson (eight sacks in 2022), Sam Hubbard (6.5) and 2023 first-round draft pick Myles Murphy terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. Cincinnati lost some key members of its secondary over the winter but helped address the situation via free agency and the draft. Safety Nick Scott and cornerback Sidney Jones were signed while corner D.J. Turner and safety Jordan Battle were early-round selections this past April, and the latter two could find themselves in starting roles before season's end.

• 2023 NFL Futures betting guide: Win totals, prop picks and more

Below, you'll find the Cincinnati Bengals 2023 schedule, win total and more futures odds from Caesars Sportsbook, followed by picks from top SportsLine NFL analysts, including:

• Larry Hartstein, who tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS (61 percent). Entering the 2023 season, Larry is 521-427 all-time on NFL sides and props (plus $3,679 for $100 players, every bet 1 unit) at SportsLine.
• Alex Selesnick, who specializes in NFL, MLB and NBA prop betting, where he implements a combination of research, statistical analysis and mathematical modeling. He is arguably the nation's No. 1 props expert, and he is 309-231 (plus 61.09 units with every bet 1 unit) in the NFL entering the 2023 season.
  
• R.J. White, who consistently crushes the NFL and shares his SuperContest and Survivor picks at SportsLine during the season. R.J. went 535-450-30 on ATS picks from 2017-22, returning $3,532 to $100 players as SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert in against the spread picks.

Cincinnati Bengals 2023 schedule

Week 1: at Browns
Week 2: vs. Ravens
Week 3: vs. Rams (MNF)
Week 4: at Titans
Week 5: at Cardinals
Week 6: vs. Seahawks
Week 7: Bye
Week 8: at 49ers
Week 9: vs. Bills (SNF)
Week 10: vs. Texans
Week 11: at Ravens (TNF)
Week 12: vs. Steelers
Week 13: at Jaguars (MNF)
Week 14: vs. Colts
Week 15: vs. Vikings
Week 16: at Steelers (SAT)
Week 17: at Chiefs
Week 18: vs. Browns

Cincinnati Bengals 2023 futures odds

Win Total Over: 11.5 (+105)
Win Total Under: 11.5 (-125)

Make Playoffs: -350
Miss Playoffs: +275

Win Division: +135
Win Conference: +500
Win Super Bowl: +1000

So will the Bengals go Over or Under their win total for the 2023 season? And what other futures bets are worth making? ... Join SportsLine right now to see SportsLine's Cincinnati Bengals 2023 futures picks, all from the acclaimed experts who have crushed the NFL for years!